Equalizing and stabilizing attachment for stands or tables



C. SINTZ March 5, 1935.

EQUALIZING AND STABILIZING ATTACHMENT FOR STANDS 0R TABLES Filed Aug. 7,1950 lNVENTOI Q Dlaznis ATTO RN EYJ Patented Mar. 5, 1935 osmos-EQUALIZING AND .STABIVLIZING ATTAQIP MENT FOR ISTANIYS OR TABLES" ClaudeSintz,

Detroit, Mich.

Application August '1 193,9, s r al n 413,735

- '13 Claims.

,--Th e present invention pertains toanovel eql hlizing and stabilizingatachment of a type particllr larlyadapted for use in combination withmovable stands or tables such as are used for supporting 5 typewritersor office equipment which must be .rhoved from place to place. 7

The primary ob'ect of the present invention is to devise an equalizingand stabilizing member which may be readily substituted for two of thelegs of a four-legged table or typewriter stand and which will serve toincrease the stability of thetableor stand by accommodating itself tothe irregularities of the floor surface. This member carries wheels,castors or other floor engaging members upon each end thereof whichcooperate with wheels or castors mounted in the usualor conventionalmanner on the other two of the four legs, to give 'a four point contactwith the floor surface in a manner gaining all the stability of afour-legged support and including the selfadapting characteristics whichaccompany a three-legged support.

With the above and other ends in view the inyention consists in thematters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in theappended. claims, reference being had to the ace companying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a side elevation of the present equalizipg'device oraxle assembly, being partly broken away and in cross section;

Fig. 2 is atop plan view of the assembly;

- Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional detail of a slightly modified form of thepresent invention. 7

Like characters of reference are employed throughout to designate thecorresponding parts.

' The numeral-1 indicates two of the legs of any conventional typewritertable or stand having their lower ends secured in sockets 2 which arerigidly joined together'by a cross rod-3 having a depending ear 4intermediate its ends, it being understood that the other two legs areequipped withcastors or wheels in the usual or conventional manner.Pivotally mounted by a trans.- .versepivot pin 4a on the ear 4 is atubular axle or equalizing member 5 having stub shafts 6 mounted in theends thereof and bifurcated or forked as at 7, whereby inapplying thismember 5 .to the table, the overall length of said member maygbe changedto accommodate the sameto tables Where the legs are of differentdistances apart. Forks 8 carry the Wheels 9 and are fur- -ther; providedwith inwardly projecting ears 1 0 .whiphembrace the bifurcated orforkedendsi 2W .fitlie shaft v6 and are iota lv s cure theret b ranserse. l riz ntall exte din p vo bo t 11.

Bearin le e .1 are mounted in th ower end 9 h so et to: ece ve ubulaost-s13 te wi h and attendi i nwardl f om th u pe eed p he 8 to atta h sdi trlss and e ste 12 1? e cls-q the les 1 a d wh ch .pqst a e ads? cs1w thin saids eev s d its and Wh el to mov e b,wa l

. tt laye end o t past socke e g a e th r b s tha the m a-cc mm da themslrs tb i re u ar ie in the floor 'surface and still permit the tabletorea n ei shin m em tp h Wh els andpo relative'to the t lelegs g limitedby the '15 'forksIS coming poptactlwiththelower ends of Phale D sQ .s'2? wh n on of th v ee 9 comesfin co tact with'a'high spot in the floorth lis 3 d ik k v ftt tlt heel m v u wardl'y within i sleeve-lithetubular axle mem b en in Pe the a e. the b au n h wh i en th i'sp d'te'lnd' 6f infl m -m mber to move do -w imya e its pofs'tto slide downeeveih'zthe lower end of the p, rmi i d a l lea thu m k ng t e catletata lso s ai m' he ostsn a e sd wit th en prgv din l o e 15 sa ss't'p B W hQHRi I Lt U fi m and ri i see e 'd'pqstsyv t in a drlej nlsoasillllfilfa dthi l gur l gea h.post13 rdly. fr m it npe l n m ta e ed c own.

f oorm a e ifl's i 'dsprins i te o edurlder H.9 1 between its (se h qivr nde uppe enq in the an er at of the hereo th so ke m mb zliil rebv t tps mo me t" f the eq ali m mb r 'ts ati e tim tabl is .yie di. re? .TbePre en n e i enslsgprsvi esbralse o h wit is f'orsie h th lta m yb but"the. pa t cu v v ldwhichare supported v s t, are p vota y m unte J Jth.earsfl u'p n 9E P .511 l 'f e fi fii th ifi Q5 sides of the wheelsadjacent thereto so that pivotal movement of the bell cranks brings thebrake shoes into contact with the rims or tires on the wheels 9 to holdsaid wheels against turning. Mechanism for operating these shoes andtheir cranks, comprises connecting rods 18 having their ends bentlaterally as at 19 and pivotally connected to the opposite ends of aplate or rocker 20 having an integral operating lever 21, the plate 20being pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon or formed integralwith one end of the pivot pin 4a which has a bearing in the dependingear 4, said pivot, being intermediate the points of pivotal attachmentof the connect-, ing rods 18 to the plate 20.

As will be understood from the above, the arrangement is such as tolocate the two wheels 9 at the ends of the pivoted equalizer member 5,the wheels, however, having individualpivotal connection with the barthrough the yoke 8, the latter providing the pivotal connection with thebar, with the wheel located in the yoke. Because of this'arrange'ment itis possible to provide the free movement of the stems 13 within therespective sockets, since the unit can properly compensate for the swingof the ends of the bar through the arcs traversed by the pivots 11during the movement of the bar. Hence, the sockets 12 need not partakeof the pivotal movement of the bar. As a result, the bar movements cantake place readily and the wheels be positioned relative to the floor tocompensate for unevenness of the latter.

While this freedom of movement of the stems 13 in the sockets wouldappear to permit the side of the table thus supported to be readilydepressed, it can be readily understood that such depression would alsobe communicated to the bar 3 through connection of the latter with thelegs. Hence, the movement would be transmitted to the pivot of the bar 5and thus to the latter, with the tendency to lower the pivots 11. As thewheels are in contact with the surface on which the table is resting, itcan be understood that the downward movement of the pivot would tend torock the yokes slightly and'thus set up binding action of the stems withthe sockets.

Should, however, the pressure be applied over but one of the legs thetendency would be to cant bar 3, and the action above pointed out wouldnot be as prominent, and to meet this condition, advantage is taken ofthese conditions in connection with the brake mechanism, the latterprimarily serving to lock the wheels against rotation by contact of theshoes 16 with the tread of the wheels, the shoes being brought into andout'of engagement with the wheels by movement of the arm 20 from oneside to the other relative to a vertical plane passing through the axisof plate 20. However, due to the arrangement of the bell cranks on thepivot 11, and the looseness of the pivot itself, it can be understoodthat when the shoes are applied to the tread of the wheels, theresultant effect of the pressure application is to bring the pivots.into close frictional engagement with the wall tive movement until thebrake has been released.

In other words, the brake application tends to eliminate the effect ofthe pivotal relation of the yoke, so that the latter would take on thenature of an integral portion of the bar 5; since the latter is cantedin making the adjustment for unevenness, the tendency is to provide thecramping action which would be present by bar movement if pivot 11 wereomitted.

As will be understood, if the movement of lever 21 be sufficient tocarry the pivots of connections 18 across a horizontal plane extendingthrough the plate axis, the brake mechanism will be locked in theparticular position.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described, it is to be understood that various changesmay be made in the details of construction without departing from thespirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a table having four supporting legs, a framecarried at the lower ends of a pair of legs, of an equalizing memberpivotally supported intermediate its ends to said frame with said endsadjacent the lower ends of two of said legs, wheels, wheel carryingmembers pivotally attached to the ends of said equalizing member andengaged with and guided by said two legs for vertical movement upontilting movement of said equalizing member, and braking means for saidwheels and including operating members for operating said braking meansand for exerting an inward strain upon said wheel carrying members toeliminate lost motion in said pivots and between said wheel carryingmembers and said legs.

2. The combination with a frame having four supporting legs and a crossmember connecting two of said legs adjacent their lower ends, of anequalizing member pivotally connected intermediate its ends to saidcross member with its ends adjacent the lower ends of said two legs, awheel carrying member pivotally attached to each end of said equalizingmember, wheels mounted upon said Wheel carrying members to support thedevice upon the floor, a post on each wheel carrying member to engageand slide within said legs, and means including operating rods and anoperating member for moving said rods simultaneously in oppositedirections to draw inwardly upon said wheel carrying members andeliminate lost motion between said posts and said legs.

3. The combination with a frame having supporting legs, socket memberson the lower ends of two of said legs, a cross member connecting saidsocket members on the lower ends of two of said legs, an equalizingmember pivotally attached intermediate its ends to said cross memberbelow the same with its ends adjacent the lower ends of said legs, aforked member pivotally attached to each end of said equalizing member,wheels pivotally mounted in the forks of said forked members, and a postextending upwardly from each forked member to engage and slide withinsaid legs, said posts having a sliding movement limited by the lowerendsof said legs.

4. The combination with a frame having supporting legs, a cross memberconnecting the lower end portions of two of said legs, an equalizingmember pivotally attached intermediate its ends to said cross memberwith its ends adjacent the lower ends of said legs, a forked memberpivotally attached to each end of said equalizing member and engagedwith and slidable within said posts, wheels pivotally mounted in theforks of said forked members, brake members pivotally attached to saidforked members and provided with shoes to engage said wheels, and meansconnecting said brake members for simultaneous pivotal movement and forexerting an inward pull upon said forked members to eliminate lostmotion from said pivots and between said forked members and posts.

5. The combination with a frame having supporting legs, a cross memberconnecting the lower end portions of two of said legs, an equalizingmember pivotally attached intermediate its ends to said cross memberwith its ends adjacent the lower ends of said legs, a forked memberpivotally attached to each end of said equalizing member, wheelspivotally mounted in the forks of said forked members, brake crankspivotally supported concentric with the pivotal attachment of saidforked members to said equalizing member, an operating handle pivotallysupported concentric with the pivotal attachment of said equalizingmember to said cross member, and rods connecting said handle and brakecranks and arranged to throw past center of said pivot of said handle tolock said brake cranks with said brakes set and maintain an inward pullupon said forked members and eliminate lost motion from said pivots.

6. The combination with a table having legs certain of which are eachprovided with a socket at its lower end, a member rigidly connecting thesockets, fioor'engaging means individual to and having parts slidable insaid sockets, and an equalizing member pivotally attached adjacent itsends to said floor engaging means and pivotally supported intermediateits ends upon said connecting member to rock thereon adjacent the floor,the points of engagement of said member and said means being below thesockets.

'7. A device as in claim 6 and including yieldable means interposedbetween the socket and the floor-engaging means co-operating therewithto yieldingly resist rocking movement of said equalizing member.

8. A device as in claim 6 and including springs in said socketsco-operative therewith and with parts of said means to yieldingly resistsliding movements of the floor engaging means relative to the sockets.

9. The combination with a table and itslegs, of means for stabilizingthe table and equalizing its leg length when positioned on unevensurfaces, said means including an equalizing member pivotally carried bythe table and positioned relative to two adjacent legs, a supportpivotally mounted at each end of the member, said support having a stemslidable relatively to the leg served thereby, a floor-engaging elementcarried by said support below said stem, whereby said support isnormally free to rock relativeto the equalizing member to permit freesliding movement of the stem relative to a leg socket, the relation ofthe member pivot with its table support being such that pressure on thetable top at the side having saidmeans will tend to rock the support onits pivot to produce binding effect between the stem and socket.

10. The combination with a table and its legs, of means for stabilizingthe table and equalizing its leg length when positioned on unevensurfaces, said means including an equalizing member pivotally carried bythe table and positioned relative to two adjacent legs, a supportpivotally mounted at each end of the member, said support having a stemslidable relative to a socket carried by the leg served thereby, afloor-engaging element carried by said support below said stem, and abrake mechanism mounted relative to the equalizing member and operativeon the floorengaging elements to prevent floor movements of the latter,said mechanism being mounted relative to the support pivots in a mannersuch that the application of the brakes to the floor-engaging elementswill tend to rock the supports to produce binding action between a stemand its socket.

11. A combination as in claim 10 characterized in that the brakemechanism includes a bellcrank lever mounted on the support pivot, oneend of the lever carrying a brake shoe, the application of the shoe tothe floor-engaging element to lock the latter, tending to providepressure on the support pivot such as rock the support and bind the stemand socket with the element serving as the fulcrum for the rockingmovement.

12. A device of the character described comprising a pair of sockets tobe secured to the lower ends of a pair of table-supporting legs, a rodrigidly connecting said sockets at the lower ends of said legs,floor-engaging means directly beneath the lower ends of said sockets andhaving vertically-extended parts slidable in said sockets, and anequalizing member pivotally attached at its ends to said means andpivotally supported intermediate its ends upon said crossrod beneath thesame and adjacent the floor.

13. The combination with a table having a supporting structure includingfour supporting legs, of an equalizing member pivotally supportedintermediate its ends upon said supporting structure and intermediatetwo of said legs with the ends of said member adjacent the lower ends ofsaid two legs, independent floor-engaging means pivotally connected tothe respective ends of said member and guided vertically by said twolegs as said member tilts upon its pivotal support, and means forexerting an inward force upon the respective floor-engaging means toeliminate lost motion in said pivots and between said floorengagingmeans and said legs.

CLAUDE SINTZ.

